Following the assassination of Charlie Kirk on September 10, a left-wing gun club connected to political violence has put up a recruitment flyer at Georgetown University referencing his death.
The flyer, from the John Brown Gun Club, features a message that says, “Hey fascist! Catch!” This echoes a saying reportedly found on a shell casing linked to Tyler Robinson, the alleged shooter at the Turning Point USA event in Utah.
The ad proclaims, “The only political group to celebrate when the Nazis die.” It also includes QR codes that direct viewers to pages intending to create communities focused on “ritual resistance” and strong messaging. The flyer invites people interested in making a change to reach out.
Andrew Corvette, a spokesman for Turning Point USA, highlighted the flyer in a social media post on Wednesday.
Shae McInnis, a sophomore at Georgetown and treasurer of the College Republican Club, found the poster earlier that morning during a school activities review.
“I saw this as a threat immediately, not just to conservatives but to everyone on campus,” McKinnis shared with Fox News Digital.
He expressed concerns that the rhetoric aims at conservative students, suggesting there’s a climate where some want harm to come to those with differing views rather than engaging in constructive political dialogue.
McInnis noted the increase in such rhetoric since Trump took office, but he feels there’s been a marked shift since Kirk’s assassination. While many institutions condemned the act of violence, he has observed defenses of it from across the political spectrum.
According to the Counter Extremism Center, the John Brown Gun Club is categorized as a “Far-Left Group.” Members often appear armed at political events under the pretense of protecting protesters from perceived right-wing threats, and they have connections to recent violent occurrences.
On July 4, multiple individuals attacked the Prairiland Detention Center in Texas. A criminal complaint alleges that one attacker fired numerous rounds from an AR-15-style weapon and caused a malfunction by blocking it.
Some suspects were found launching fireworks with phrases like “Ice Pig,” while allegedly targeting local police officers from nearby tree lines.
These individuals face serious federal charges, including attempted murder of federal agents and firearms violations associated with violent crimes.
Benjamin Song, one suspect and a known antifa activist, has been involved in confrontations with a right-wing group during a 2023 event in Fort Worth.
Song, linked to the John Brown Gun Club, previously provided security at events, though he was never charged criminally.
The John Brown Gun Club has chapters nationwide, and one member, Willem van Spronsen, was killed in 2019 while attempting to attack an ICE detention center.
While McKinnis acknowledged that not everyone agrees with conservative views, he emphasized that the university setting should promote healthy debate—an idea he felt was undermined by the poster.
John Brown, the group’s namesake, was a radical abolitionist known for his violent efforts against slavery in the mid-1800s. His attack on a federal arsenal in Harper’s Ferry aimed to instigate a slave rebellion but met with fierce resistance, culminating in his capture and execution.
A representative from Georgetown University stated, “The university has no tolerance for violence or threats,” confirming the flyer has been removed and an investigation is underway to ensure community safety.
